Bits & Pieces

My top 10 souvenir recommendations, little keepsakes that I enjoy taking home for my friends – and a few things I like to buy myself! All of these gifts are made or finished off in Tirol.

There is nothing that our author finds more difficult than getting up early. Can she learn to appreciate the morning hours with the help of local farmers high in the mountains of Tirol?

Tirol’s huts offer all the necessities; however, we want to point out that a mountain cabin is not a hotel— instead, these are places that encourage hikers to slow down, to interact and to leave no trace.

The ski lifts and cable cars are back in motion transporting wintersports enthusiasts high up into the mountains. Huddled together inside them are different types of skiers you are sure to find wherever you carve your turns. Here is our quick guide to the classic categories of people out on the slopes.

Or perhaps not, because falling in love isn’t really about choosing the type you prefer, but rather more about the chemistry between two people.

Icy toes, blue lips, shivering hands – nobody likes being cold. Here's how to stay warm all winter, no matter how low the mercury falls.

Hikers familiar with the mountains of Tirol will know all about the alpine chough. These black birds with eye-catching yellow beaks can be found circling in the air above many alpine summits. But did you know that the alpine chough can fly at speeds of up to 200km/h – and is even capable of lying? We sat down for an interview with Christiane Böhm, head of the bird department at Innsbruck Alpine Zoo, to find out more.

Making your own Advent wreath in the run-up to Christmas is a dearly held tradition in many Tirolean families – including mine. Every year my grandfather would go into the forest to collect branches from the bushy green fir trees and then weave them together into a wreath which would take pride of place at home. He passed on this tradition to my mother, who has been making Advent wreaths for all the family for as many years as I can remember. Last weekend I had a go for the first time at making my own wreath – under the watchful eye of my mother, of course! I think it turned out pretty well. Scroll down to judge for yourself. All I have to do now is buy four candles and wait for the first Sunday of Advent to arrive.

Tirol isn’t always a winter wonderland, you know. Sometimes it’s a summer wonderland. And then there is autumn. It unfolds with brilliant bursts of gold, crystalline blue skies, the crisp perfume of fluttering leaves, and trails paved in yellow. Honestly speaking, the seasons are fleeting, so get out now and experience it. Here are some great ways to savour autumn in Tirol.

There’s something magical that happens when leaves begin to change colour, the air turns crisp and cool and days are getting darker earlier. Autumn brings a new set of activities to fill your days — here is my ultimate autumn bucket list.